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The castle of La Ferté Saint Aubin is located in the department of Loiret, 22 km south of Orleans. It was built in the 17th Century by the architect Théodore Lefebvre under instructions of Henri of Saint-Nectaire. The castle changed hands several times until it was purchased in 1987 by Jacques Guyot, who made it available to the public. There is a 40 acres park, created as a French garden and stalls. This castle is a historical monument.

During your visit you will discover more than 15 furnished rooms inside the castle, stables and tack with the collection of harnesses, large collection of toys and dolls (1st floor of the Orangerie ). You are also invited to the demonstration in the kitchen of the castle, where you can enjoy delicious honey madeleines, made ​​according to the recipe of the day.

A great place to wander around, with 40-hectare park features ,and the reconstruction of a 1930s train station, an enchanted island for the children and a wildlife park

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Beaugency is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France. It is located on the Loire river, upriver (northeast) from Blois and downriver from Orléans.

History

The lords of Beaugency attained considerable importance in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries; at the end of the 13th century they sold the fiefdom to the Crown. Afterward it passed to the house of Orléans, then to those of Dunois and Longueville, and ultimately again to that of Orléans.

The city of Beaugency has been the site of numerous military conflicts. It was occupied on four separate occasions by the English. On June 16–17, 1429, it was the site of the famous Battle of Beaugency, when it was freed by Joan of Arc. Beaugency also played an important strategic role in the Hundred Years’ War. It was burned by the Protestants in 1567 and suffered extensive damage to the walls, the castle, and the church.

On the 8th, 9th and 10th of December 1870, the Prussian army, commanded by the grand-duke of Mecklenburg, defeated the French army of the Loire, under General Chanzy, in the second battle of Beaugency (or Villorceau-Josnes). It was fought on the right bank of the Loire to the northwest of Beaugency.

In 1940 and again in 1944, the city was bombed by Nazi Germany. On 16 September 1944, German Major General Botho Henning Elster and his 18 850 men and 754 officers surrendered at the Loire bridge of Beaugency to French résistance.

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The Château de Talcy is a historical building in Talcy, Loir-et-Cher, France. It lies on the left bank of the Loire River, in the Loire Valley, known for its 16th-century châteaux. It was commissioned around 1520 by Bernardo Salviati, a Florentine condottiero and cardinal with connections to the Medici family. The château, which is embedded in the village to one side, where the village church forms one side of the courtyard, is more Gothic in its vernacular feeling than might be expected in a structure built for an Italian patron at the height of the Renaissance.

The estate is better known in literary rather than architectural history. Salviati’s daughter and granddaughter, Cassandre and Diane, were the muses of two leading French poets of the time, Pierre de Ronsard and Théodore-Agrippa d’Aubigné, respectively. Ronsard fell in love with the 15-year-old Cassandre in 1552, during his stay at Talcy. He dedicated to her some of the best known sonnets in the French language. D’Aubigné, a neighbour of the Salviati, composed for Diane in 1571 the collection of sonnets, ballads, and idylls entitled Le Printemps and at her death the finest of his poems, Les Tragiques.

Among the outbuildings preserved from the 16th century are a presshouse and a dovecot; there is also a traditional vegetable garden. In the château is the “chambre de la Médicis” where Catherine de’ Medici and her son Charles IX are said to have planned the Massacre of Saint

The Salviati retained the ownership of the estate until 1682. Henceforth it passed through a succession of owners, including Philipp Albert Stapfer. In 1933 it was sold to the state, on condition that the 18th-century interiors would be preserved intact. The château is visited by 20,000 tourists annually.

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Located half way between Orléans and Tours, the little city of Amboise has played a great part in French history, particularly during the Renaissance era. The magnificent castle of Amboise is one of the many chateaux bordering the Loire river, all listed in the UNESCO World Heritage including Chambord, Chenonceau or Azay-le-Rideau.

The chateau was built on the foundations of an old fortress, its position perched high on a promontory over looking the Loire, offering a solid defence against any intruders. The chateau was seized by Charles VII in the mid 1400’s after its owner, Louise d’Amboise was involved in a plot against the monarchy. He was later to be pardoned but the chateau remained in the hands of the king.

Birthplace of the French Renaissance, the Château d’Amboise, built in the 15th and 16th centuries for the kings Charles VIII, Louis XII and François I, towers majestically over the Loire River and the slate roofs of the houses in the old town of Amboise. The royal residence is home to a prestigious collection of Gothic and Renaissance furniture. Highlights of the castle tour are the Salle du Conseil, the Salle des Tambourineurs (drummers’ hall) and the Empire apartments. After exploring the interior, visitors should head for the gardens and terrace, which offer a fantastic view of the Loire Valley. Built onto the ramparts is Saint-Hubert chapel, a magnificent example of Flamboyant Gothic art that contains the tomb of Leonardo da Vinci.

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The Chateau de Chambord is the largest of all the chateaux residing in the Loire Valley and is undoubtedly the most astounding. In 1519, under the instruction of King Francois I, the original manor was demolished and the construction of Chambord castle begun. The design is suggested to have been initiated by Leonardo Da Vinci, and the location, amongst the Boulogne Forest, served as a perfect hunting lodge for the king.

In 1537, 18 years after its initial construction, the castle keep, with its towers and terraces was completed by 1800 men and 2 master masons. Francois I later ordered the erection of a royal pavilion on the castle’s northeastern corner, with a connecting two-storey gallery, and at one stage contemplated diverting the Loire River to flow directly in front of his chateau. Henri II, his son, initiated the building of the castle’s west wing, housing the chapel; and later in 1685, Louis XIV completed a 440 roomed extension.

By the 17 th century Chambord consisted of 440 rooms, 365 chimneys, 14 main staircases and 70 smaller staircases. The key features of the magnificent Chateau de Chambord include the grand staircase and the remarkable skyline.The innovative staircase was designed by Leonardo Da Vinci, consisting of two separate flights of stairs spiralled around each other. It is possible for two people to enter the two staircases at the base and not see each other until they reach the very top. The castle’s skyline is its most distinctive and astonishing feature, with a central lantern tower reaching 32m high and roof terraces with stunning spires, turrets and sculptured gables.

The grand estate of Chambord covers 1000ha of oak trees, pine groves, moors, swamps and magnificent clearings. The vast forest is open to visitors who wish to discover the national wildlife reserve by foot, bike or horseback. All year-round visitors can access observatories set up for viewing wild animals. The beauty and magnificence of Le Chateau de Chambord is breath-taking and is a ‘must-see’ for all tourists visiting the Loire Valley on either a short break or an extented holiday.

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Jacek Proniewicz born in Zakopane a little town in the southern part of Poland bordering Slovakia. Studied architecture at the university of Cracow. Presently working on the exploration sailing vessel Pangaea traveling with young adults around the world. My passion is exploration, paragliding, windsurfing and other extreme sports, I love Music and photography and have a great sense of humor.

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